The Secret Six

Chapter 12: Home's Where the Heart Is

“At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.” ~Lao Tzu

Chapter 12

 It’d be impossible not to feel how tense the atmosphere was.

“Audrey,” my mother said with warm brown eyes. She looked genuinely happy to see me, much to my own surprise. I’d have been somewhat more excited to see her, too—if she was sitting next to anyone else in the world other than Scarlett Howards. “I’m...it’s wonderful to see you, sweetie. You look well.”

I narrowed my eyes at her, flickering sight between her and Scarlett. Scarlett wore smugness one shade lighter than the matching color on her nails and lips. I spared a glance at Alex, who seemed too dumbfounded to say or do anything about the situation at hand.

“M-Mom, what are you doing here?” I said again, still wanting an answer. I deserved one, after all. My mother, who’d shipped me off several states over, without a second thought—she wasn’t my favorite person, at the moment. I think I deserved an explanation.

“Audrey,” she said delicately, placing her hands over her lap, her face looking sensitive, as if she might break me. “I think…it’s time you come home.”

Scarlett smiled.

My mouth dropped, and I suddenly turned to Alex, who seemed petrified. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Not only was my mother defying the laws of all that is holy by sitting next to Scarlett Howards, reason for which diaries and tissues were invented, but she wanted me…to move back to Arizona? But what would I do back there? Why would I move back in with family that doesn’t care, and friends who don’t love me? At least, here, in Seattle, I had the closest thing to friendship I’d ever had.

“M-Mrs. Abbott,” Alex said, his mouth rather dry. I was shocked he’d started speaking—he looked, before like he might have hurled, “you can’t make Audrey move back to Arizona. She’s…she’s made so many friends here.”

Scarlett let out a little chuckle, covering her mouth to keep her from exploding into giggles.

I narrowed my eyes at her, “Scarlett. You said, just an hour ago, that you and I were ‘best of friends’.”

Scarlett crossed her arms and flashed me a sly grin, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Last time we spoke, you ended the conversation by slamming a door in my face. Twice. And then, calling me ‘bitch.’”

Alex guffawed, but my mother’s face turned ashen. “That’s my Audrey.” She said, with a grim laugh, her face barely moving to make emotion.

I scowled, “I’m not your anything.” I told her sternly, “Don’t act like you want to do this for my betterment! You’re just lonely because dad’s never home! And frankly, I can understand why—”

My mother’s eyes started to grow wide and pleading, like a little girl’s whose toy was confiscated by her grumpy parents—me—and I felt, suddenly, Alex’s hand on my shoulder. I turned back around to him, seeing a disapproving look in his eyes, as if he wanted to tell me to take a step back, and calm down. But Alex didn’t know my mother. Her sad eyes and frowning face were her tactics to make you feel bad for her. She’d used them ever since I could talk.

“Mrs. Abbott, Audrey loves it here.” Mr. Clayton intervened, frowning. “And Marty would be heartbroken. He has no one.”

My mother’s face went emotionless at the mention of my grandfather, “My father can take care of himself.”

Mr. Clayton frowned, “Miss Abbott, I mean no disrespect, but your father is certainly not capable of living alone. He’s over eighty years old, and shattered his hip only last year. Who knows what might happen?”